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BY JOHN GILLOOLY
Journal Sports Writer
EAST PROVIDENCE — They will line up for the opening kickoff focused on one thing — helping their team win a football game.
They will spend about two hours this afternoon thinking only about their assignments in Hendricken’s quest for a state football title.
Yet Mike Rogers and Bobby Booth know at some point, probably after the game is finished, that they will think about how much their fathers would have enjoyed being at Pierce Field today.
Rogers is a senior defensive back. Booth is senior offensive lineman. They both play significant roles for the Hendricken football team that will meet St. Raphael in the R.I. Interscholastic League’s Citizens Bank Division I Super Bowl this afternoon at Pierce.
Like football players everywhere, they share a bond with all their teammates. That’s the thing about football, every play it’s 11 guys with 11 different assignments all geared toward one objective.
But all season Rogers and Booth have shared another bond — the teenage heartbreak of their fathers’ recent deaths.
Rogers’ father, John Rogers, passed away in March 2006 after a 19-month battle with cancer. Booth’s father, Bob Booth, died suddenly this past August.
“We don’t really know. It was just sudden,” Booth offered about the cause of his father’s death.
There will be about 400 Rhode Island high school football players participating in the four state championship games that will be played around the state today. And while the bottom line will be about what the scoreboard reads when time expires, the games are almost as much about memories as touchdowns and tackles.
“It’s going to be a memory whatever happens tomorrow. You’re going to remember it for the rest of your life,” Booth said of the feeling that thousands of high school athletes through the decades have felt about playing in a championship game.
But for Booth and Rogers, there will be a special feeling.
“I know I’m going to look back on it and say, I wish my dad had been there to see it,” said Booth.
“My dad was always supportive, always telling me how proud he was of everything I did, said Rogers. “It [the Super Bowl] comes up and you think it would have been really nice for him to have seen it. You wonder what it would be like if he was still here.”
“I know I’m going to look back on it [the game] and say, I wish my dad had been there to see it,” said Booth.
“It has been different [this season],” Booth added “I was used to my dad being there after the games. It’s been tough, but the team has been there for me.”
They both have had strong support from their immediate families, but it also has helped to have had their Hendricken football family.
“It’s a bunch of kids working together for one goal. We’re supportive of each other,” said Rogers.
It’s pretty much like one big family. If somebody is down, you pick them up,” said Booth.
“I know they are there for me,” Booth continued. “The coach had asked me ‘Do you want to make a big deal out of this [his father’s death]? Or do you want us to keep it quiet?’ I kind of wanted to keep it quiet, but I knew that everybody always was there for me if I need to talk to somebody. I like thinking about the good memories and bring it back a lot kind of gets me pretty sad. I just want to try and move on. Not forget about him, but keep my life as normal as I can.”
For two seasons now, for Rogers and this year for Booth, football has helped them cope with their personal losses.
“During the games, nothing else matters,” said Rogers. “During the week, everything else you wonder about doesn’t matter because you only focus on your job and doing what you can to help the team. It’s always fun to win, Always fun to play hard and do well. It’s more or less like an escape.”
“Football takes my mind off other things,” said Booth. “You come out here and for the 2½ hours you practice every day, you’re on the field to take care of business”
They have never seen their names in headlines, but then you come to expect that when you’re an offensive lineman and a 160-pound defensive back.
“I’ve been a lineman for my whole life, so my dad always knew I wasn’t going to get any glory for digging in the trenches, doing the dirty work,” said Booth.
But while they may not be headliners they both have played big roles in Hendricken earning its second consecutive Super Bowl berth.
From his spot on the offensive line the 6-foot-2, 245-pound Booth has been opening holes for the ground game that has been the key to Hendricken’s production of 259 points in nine Division I games this season.
Rogers has been a mainstay of the Hendricken defensive unit by not only intercepting four passes, but also being one of the Hawks’ top tacklers with 80 stops.
“I feel I have done better than I had expected, but it’s been a team effort,” said Rogers.
“It’s not just us, it’s everybody else, too. If everybody does his part, we are going to get it done. That’s what we have done this season,” said Booth.
This afternoon they will take the field with their minds strictly focused on a football game. They know that’s the way it’s supposed to be. That’s the way their fathers would have wanted it.
So for two hours it will be all about tackles and touchdowns, but there always will be the memories.
“He was always at every practice, every game,” Booth said of his father. “He would have been really excited about this game. He was excited last year when we made it to the Super Bowl. He told me after the game [which Hendricken lost], ‘You’re going to get another shot.’ I just wish he was here to see it.”
CHICAGO — In its third decade of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in partnership with RISE Magazine, today announced Bobby Bentsen of Warwick Veterans High School as its 2007-08 Gatorade Rhode Island Football Player of the Year
The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also meeting high standards of academic achievement while demonstrating exceptional character on and off the field, distinguishes Bentsen as Rhode Island’s best high school football player. Bentsen is now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Football Player of the Year award to be announced in mid-December.
The 5-foot-11, 195-pound junior quarterback broke the state’s single-season passing yardage record, completing 151-of-261 passes for 2,542 yards and 24 touchdowns against just 10 interceptions this fall. He also rushed for 315 yards and five scores on 72 carries. Bentsen led the Hurricanes (8-3) to the Division II quarterfinals, where he threw for 372 yards and three scores on 26-of-41 passing in a losing cause against South Kingstown.
Bentsen has maintained a 3.06 GPA in the classroom. Bentsen volunteers as a local youth football and boxing coach in addition to donating his time to the Pilgrim Senior Center in Warwick.
“He sees the field well, and he’s very accurate,” said Warwick Veterans Head Coach Mike Nappa. “He finds the hole. He finds the open receiver. He’ll stay in the pocket, he’ll complete the pass and he’ll make sure he makes something happen.”
Bentsen will begin his senior year of high school next fall and remains undecided upon a collegiate destination.
The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field. The selection process is administered by RISE Magazine, which works with top sport-specific experts and a media advisory board of accomplished, veteran prep sports journalists to determine the state winners in each sport.
Today's sports cover is full of high school playoff football coverage. John Gilloolly writes about St. Raphael's backup quarterback getting thrust into the spotlight, Robert Lee writes about Hendricken's victory over La Salle, and Paul Kenyon covers Toll Gate's upset of Cranston East.
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The Providence Country Day School sends along these details about some outstanding recent performances by its sailing team:
PCD SAILORS WIN NATIONAL REGATTA
East Providence, RI —Natalie Salk ’09 of Jamestown and Scarlet Darquea ‘09 of Providence won Gold fleet honors, finishing first out of 26 co-ed high school teams, at the 9th Great Oaks Invitational, held at Southern Yacht Club in New Orleans, Louisiana on November 10 and 11. The win also earned the PCD team the Larry and Babs White Perpetual Trophy, which recognizes the outstanding performance by a team competing in the event for the first time. Gabriel Salk ’10 and Michael Brendlinger ’10, both of Jamestown, were also members of the winning team.
The Great Oaks Regatta was created to provide national-level experience for developing high school teams, creating an opportunity to compete with peers as a team grows in numbers and skill. All schools that are currently members of the Interscholastic Sailing Association (ISSA) and did not qualify for either the Mallory or Baker Regattas in the previous four years were eligible to enter the selection process in their Districts. Each team sailed one double-handed boat. PCD was one of four qualifiers from the New England Schools Sailing Association to participate in the Invitational.
Other PCD sailors have enjoyed a successful off-season as well. In October, Brendan Faria ’09 of Middletown competed in the ISSA Single-handed National Championship in Seattle, earning a 10th place in the highly competitive field. “These sailors have had an incredible fall outside of our regular season, and I expect big accomplishments in the spring,” said PCD Sailing Coach Steve Robinson.
“The increasing participation in and dedication to the Sailing program has truly paid off,” said PCD Athletic Director Tom Sienkiewicz. “We are very proud of Natalie and Scarlet’s victory.”
Completing 13 of 17 passes for 180 yards, including two of them for touchdown passes, as well as rushing for another 70 yards, Billy Cosmopulos led Moses Brown to a 21-0 victory over Johnston in semifinal action of the Rhode Island Interscholastic League Division III playoffs, earlier tonight at Pierce Stadium.
With the win, the Quakers have earned a return trip to the Citizens Bank Division III Super Bowl, where it will face Ponaganset at 12:30 p.m. Saturday at Bryant University.
Journal photo / Glenn Osmundson
St. Raphael defeated Rogers tonight, 15-0, to complete a perfect regular season in Division I, but Saints star quarterback Stanley Dunbar left the game in the first quarter with an injury. We'll have more information, as well as a photo gallery, tomorrow on HSGameTime. Until then, here is a box score.
Journal photo / Ruben W. Perez
Zak Gumkowski is pushed out of bounds by Peter Smurro of Narragansett just short of a touchdown in the second half.
East Greenwich routed Narragansett tonight, 35-0, to clinch a playoff spot in Division III. The Avengers will play Ponaganset in the first round of the playoffs, while Narragansett will not qualify; top-seed Moses Brown will take on Johnston in the other semifinal.
Greg Palmer scored three touchdowns -- two receiving and one rushing -- for East Greenwich, while Zak Gumkowski added two rushing TDs. Click here to see the scoring summary. We'll have a gallery of game photos later tonight on HSGameTime.
HSGameTime will have photo galleries posted late tonight from Rogers' football game at St. Raphael, and Narragansett at East Greenwich.
Late tomorrow afternoon, we'll have photo galleries from Cumberland vs. Woonsocket, Cranston East vs. Cranston West and La Salle vs. East Providence.
HSGameTime will also post the results to the high school games as we get them on Wednesday night and Thursday afternoon (coaches should call in the games between 4 and 7 p.m.)
Today's sports cover features the story of Patrick Onye, one of Rhode Island's top high school football players, who will take the field tonight for the Classical Purple while his father serves his third tour of duty in Iraq. Also, Jim Donaldson compares the 2007 Patriots with the great 49ers teams of the 1980s and early '90s, while Kevin McNamara previews tonight's game between URI and Boston College.
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Kelly Ryan has made her decision. Mount Saint Charles softball coach Cliff Matthews sends along this information about the senior's college plans:
Mount Saint Charles Academy Fast Pitch Softball is pleased to announce that senior stand out Kelly Ryan is signing a Letter of Intent to attend Caldwell College located in Caldwell, New Jersey. The Cougars are coached by Dean Johnson and participated in 2004 in the Division II College World Series Tournament. Every indication from Coach Johnson is that Kelly will have the opportunity to compete for the starting center field job as a freshman when she begins school next August.
Courtesy/Cliff Matthews
Mount Saint Charles fast-pitch coach Cliff Matthews and senior Kelly Ryan
Last year as a junior, Kelly turned in outstanding performances in several categories. She led Mount Saint Charles in batting average, on-base percentage, RBI’s and fielding percentage earning her Mount’s Most Valuable Player Award. As a pitcher, she was statistically among the best in the state with a 1.29 earned run average giving up 47 hits and 24 walks while striking out 130 over 98 innings. She was recognized two times as the Providence Journal Player of the Week and earned First Team All Division and Second Team All State Awards.
Over the summer, Kelly plays for the Rhode Island Thunder Gold 18-and-under college exposure team coached by Dave Lotti. In an incredibly competitive environment, she had a batting average of .360 and an on-base percentage of .393, both second on the team. She was also second on the team in stolen bases. “Kelly is the best outfielder to ever come through our program. In the last 96 games, she has committed only one error. She is an incredibly gifted athlete and coupled with her work ethic, I am convinced she will have a very successful college career,” stated Coach Lotti.
Part of the summer program included participation in the National Fast Pitch Coaches’ Association Exposure Camp in Pennsbury, Pennsylvania, one of five camps run nationwide by that organization who rates over 2,500 girls. Kelly was recognized in the October issue of the organization’s national magazine for coaches as the number one outfield college prospect in the nation. As a direct result of this outstanding performance, Kelly was strongly recruited by several Division One softball programs.
When asked why she chose a Division II school, Kelly responded, “Caldwell is the perfect balance of academics and athletics. I feel that I can still play softball in a very competitive program and still have the opportunity to concentrate on my studies while graduating in four years.”
“I know all the coaches in Rhode Island Division One softball join me in wishing this outstanding young woman the best of luck as she moves on to represent us at the college level”, stated Cliff Matthews, the Varsity Softball Coach at Mount Saint Charles Academy.
SOUTH KINGSTOWN _ LaSalle completed a perfect season in Division I volleyball last night, but had to stage a sensational rally to do so.
The Rams were outplayed by East Providence through two games, but steadied and then came back to nip the Townies, 20-25, 24-26, 25-20, 25-16, 15-13 in a dramatic state championship match at URI's Keaney Gym.
LaSalle had beaten East Providence twice in the regular season, once in four games, once in five games. The Townies, who had won five of the last six titles, made all the key plays early on, led by Starsha Tunstall, Elizabeth Caruolo and Kelley Clancy.
The Rams showed the poise of champions as they charged back. Coach Jamie Terenzi made some changes, most notably inserting Breanna Boyer and Samantha Elliott into the lineup, and they combined with Janet Pressler, the tournament MVP, Jameilia Dillon, Judy Burr and Rebecca Merten to turn the match around.
The Rams surged to a 16-3 lead in the third set and held on from there. They took control of the fourth set right away as well, building a 13-5 lead. The deciding set was a thriller, with the loud supporting crowds for both teams roaring. It was tied at 1, 2, 5, 8 and 10 before Pressler, Elliott and the other Rams made the plays that gave LaSalle its first-ever Division I title.
``We wanted this so badly,’’ said Burr, one of the LaSalle co-captains. ``We were not going to give up the whole time. . . If we lost it was going to be because they beat us, not because we didn’t play as hard as we possible could.''
``It’s amazing,’’ she said as she held the medal given the champions. ``I’m floating on air right now.’’
Last year, two points stood between the Middletown girls volleyball team and a state crown.
Not this time.
Yesterday, the Islanders walked out of Keaney Gymnasium with hardware in hand, after defeating Central Falls, 27-25, 25-18, 26-24, in the Rhode Island Interscholastic League Division III Championship, at the University of Rhode Island.
The state title is Middletown’s first since the Islanders won the Class A Championship in 1981.
``We actually did it this year,’’ said Middletown’s 6-foot-3 middle hitter and Alice Sullivan MVP award winner Marjorie Pfeiffer, who refused to look at the scoreboard as the match went on for fear of a repeat of last year, when Shea staged a comeback late in the third game and went on to beat the Islanders in the 2006 Division III championship. ``It feels a lot better because it’s my senior year and we finally won. It feels so good. And my coach [Cathy Silveira] is leaving, so it’s her last game, it’s our last game.’’
Central Falls players Natalia Szulc, left, and Alba Vargas go for the ball during the team's match tonight agianst Hope.
Middletown swept Shea while Central Falls beat Hope, also 3-0, tonight to set up the championship match in Division III girls volleyball. The Islanders and the Warriors will meet for the title at 1 p.m. Saturday in Keaney Gym. Check HSGametime tomorrow for photo galleries from the matches as well as coverage from our writers.
The Rhode Island Interscholastic League and the Institute of International Sport will hold a leadership forum Tuesday, Nov. 20 at URI.
The forum will feature: leadership exercises for student athletes, a panel discussion on leadership featuring a panel of coaches, Attorney Gen. Patrick Lynch and Hasbro Chairman Alan Hassenfeld and finally a session on leadership objectives for athletes.
Thomas Mezzanotte, RIIL executive director, will kick the forum off with a talk about the RIIL dedication to courses for coaches, sportsmanship, wellness and leadership.
He will also outline the organization a new foundation that will give grants to schools to develop leadership, sportsmanship and character education programs.
"The RIIL has a strong and important message to convey -- not just to our student-athletes, but also to parents, coaches, teachers, administrators and the community as a whole," Mezzanotte says.
The forum will be held at the Ryan Center from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Registration closed Nov. 6. Mezzanotte says he expects about 400 students and 40 coaches will attend.
This year's Division I girls volleyball championship will feature I-North rivals La Salle and East Providence.
La Salle, the I-North champions with an 18-0 record, advanced to the title game with a 3-1 victory over Toll Gate, 25-20, 19-25, 25-20, 25-11, in the first semifinal matchup tonight at URI's Keaney Gymnasium.
East Providence, which finished second to La Salle in the Northern Division with a 15-3 mark, earned a chance to regain its title with a 3-1 victory over defending state champion North Kingstown, 21-25, 25-19, 25-8, 25-23, in the other semifinal match.
The Rams and Townies will return to Keaney to play for the Division I Championship, Saturday at 6 p.m.
High school coaches are constantly encouraging their athletes to challenge themselves. Two coaches recently demonstrated that they practice what they preach.
Wheeler girls soccer coach Monica Aleixo, whose Warriors defeated Marianapolis, 1-0, for the SENE Championship last Friday, endured record high temperatures and humidity en route to finishing last month’s LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon. The 38-year-old North Smithfield resident clocked a time of 3 hours, 41 minutes, 58 seconds, placing 69th in her age group.
Also last month, North Kingstown girls cross country coach Keven O’Neil was the top Rhode Islander, second overall, at the Amica Insurance Breakers Marathon. The 37-year-old North Kingstown runner, whose Skippers placed second to La Salle at the State Cross Country Championships, covered the 26.2-mile route through Middletown and Newport in 2:30:33.
Two former Rhode Island high school stars will be toeing the line at the NCAA Cross Country Championships, Monday at Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Ind.
Lincoln's Elizabeth Carlson - who was a four-time first-team All-State cross country runner and a two-time All-State swimmer for the Lions - helped the Stony Brook women's cross country team qualify for the NCAA Championships for the first time in the program's history with her 48th-place finish that helped the Seawolves to second place behind Providence at the NCAA Division I New England Regional Cross Country Championship, last Saturday at Harvard University.
(The team, incidentally, is coached by former two-time Providence College All-America selection and Irish Olympian Andy Ronan, who was named the America East Conference Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year.)
Meanwhile, former Bishop Hendricken standout Tom Webb will be competing at the NCAA's with the Providence College men's cross country team.
The two-time Rhode Island cross-country champion and 2005 New England champion - helped the Friars to second place at the Northeast Regional Championships, Nov. 10 at Franklin Park - which, like Stony Brook, earned PC an automatic berth to the NCAA Championships - when he placed 53rd in 31:13.80.
Seekonk High School booster Chris O'Halloran brings our attention to the outstanding accomplishments of the school's boys' and girls' cross country teams, which are coached by Eli Mello and his assistant Frank Mooney:
The Seekonk Boys cross country team ran an impressive fifth out of thirty-six teams in the Eastern MA Division IV Championships at Franklin Park on Saturday. The finish gives the Warriors a berth in the MA State Championship this Saturday, November 17th in Gardner MA. Seekonk was led by sophmore Johnny Gregorek, 6th overall (out of 261 runners) with a time of 16:5, and junior Sam Spencer, 18th overall, with a time of 17:38 on the 5K course.
For the Seekonk girls, junior Amanda Sweet finished 17th out of 238 with a time of 20:46, qualifying her for States.
MetLife Most Valuable Player Derek Army scored with 3:42 remaining in helping the Moses Brown boys soccer team stage a 2-1 come-from-behind victory over defending champion North Smithfield in the Division III Championship of the 27th MetLife Soccer Classic, tonight at Rhode Island College.
Trailing, 1-0, after Taylor Briggs scored in the 32nd minute for North Smithfield, Moses Brown tied the score on a tally by John Lewis a little more than midway through the second half.
Competing in the R.I. Interscholastic League from 1987-1989, the Quakers rejoined the RIIL this fall after spending the last 12 years competing in the Southeast New England Prep League, where they split with Providence Country Day for last year's SENE Championship.
Former Journal sports writer Bob Leddy will be inducted into the R.I. Track & Field Hall of Fame at the Boys' Cross Country banquet, to be held tomorrow at the Crowne Plaza in Warwick.
Journal photo/Carolyn Thornton
Bob Leddy
Leddy worked at the Journal for 38 years, spending the last 20 covering high school and college cross country and track. Previous to that, he served for 20 years as an official, working meets at every level, both in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Since retiring from the paper in the fall of 2001, he has continued to serve the track and cross country communities.
Courtesy of Bob Leddy, Rhode Island results from Saturday's New England Cross Country Championships:
La Salle’s Jeanne Mack and East Greenwich’s Nick Ross were Rhode Island’s top finishers Saturday at the New England Cross Country Championships at Twin Brook Recreation Area in Cumberland, Maine. The Rams were third in girls’ team scoring (195), with Coventry fourth (274). On the boys’ side, the Avenger team placed second with 148 team points. La Salle finished ninth (321).
Mack, the state’s 2007 champion, finished second in a field of 265 runners with a time of 18 minutes, 29.4 seconds over 3.1 miles. The race was won by New Hampshire’s Georgia Griffin in 18:06. Mack’s teammate, Jean Christensen, was the second Rhode Islander over the line (12th overall) in 19:12, and Barrington freshman Abigail Jones was the third local runner to finish (20th overall) in 19:27.
Ross, (11th overall) was clocked in 16:16.4. Teammate Mark Feigen was the second Rhode Islander to finish (14th overall) in 16:21. Westerly’s Tim O’Loughlin was the third local finisher (28th overall in 16:37).
GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY
New England Championship
At Cumberland, Me.
R.I. results Saturday
Team scores
3, La Salle 195; 4, Coventry 274; 11, Cr. West 324; 19, N. Kingstown 428; 22, E. Greenwich 519; 23, Westerly 529
Top 30 R.I. finishers (with overall finish)
1 (2), Jeanne Mack, LS 18:29; 2 (12), Jean Christensen, LS 19:12; 3 (20), Abigail Jones, Barr. 19:27; 4 (26), Nicolle Cocozza, LS 19:30; 5 (28), Alyssa DeQuattro, CW 19:31; 6 (39), Hope Nelson, SK 19:46; 7 (66), Kaitlyn Grimshaw, Cov. 20:18; 8 (67), Allison Stasiuk, NK 20:20.0; 9 (68), Tasi Rittling, Cumb. 20:20.5; 10 (80), Arianna Colella, CW 20:30; 11 (96), Jenna Riley, Cov. 20:43; 12 (98), Susan O’Connell, EG 20:45; 13 (101), Eryn Wheeler, Cov. 20:45; 14 (102), Lindsay Paiva, Cov. 20:46; 15 (105), Emily Doucette, West. 20:47; 16 (106), Erin Brennan, NK 20:48; 17 (109), Vicki Lima, West. 20:49; 18 (110), Michon Dinwoodie, West. 20:50; 19 (111), Alexandra Hollenbeck, Cov. 20:51; 20 (116), Cassie Clarke, CW 20:55; 21 (118), Stephanie Beaudette, BV 20:56; 22 (120), Rebecca Morley, NK 20:57; 23 (123), Brile Anderson, EG 21:00; 24 (133), Vicky Beardwood, LS 21:05; 25 (134), Daria Braboy, BV 21:05; 26 (138), Cassie Pederzani, LS 21:07; 27 (147), Spencer Dean, EG 21:14; 28 (157), Monica Black, NK 21:17; 29 (164), Lynn Pesola, Cov. 21:23; 30 (178), Aileen Cole, Scit. 21:33. Dist. - 5,000 meters.
BOYS CROSS COUNTRY
New England Championship
At Cumberland, Me.
R.I. results Saturday
Team scores
2, E. Greenwich 148; 9, La Salle 321; 13, Hendricken 363; 17, N. Kingstown 459; 22, S. Kingstown 479; 23, Chariho 485.
Top 30 R.I. finishers (with overall finish)
1 (11), Nick Ross, EG 16:16; 2 (14), Mark Feigen, EG 16:21; 3 (28), Tim O’Loughlin, West. 16:37; 4 (34), Akash Chougule, EG 16:45; 5 (35), Sid Griffin, Barr. 16:45; 6 (40), Conor Mercurio, LS 16:49; 7 (53), Nate Wigton, NK 16:55; 8 (56), Dave Hurley, Char. 16:56; 9 (59), Matt Macedo, Pon. 17:00; 10 (65), Mike Pezzullo, EG 17:06; 11 (69), Pat Erban, LS 17:09; 12 (70), Mitch Leveille, NK 17:10; 13 (74), Bronson Venable, BH 17:13; 14 (80), Ryans Sullivan, EP 17:16; 15 (87), Brian Doyle, BH 17:20; 16 (94), Conor McCloskey, SK 17:24.1; 17 (96), Tom McLaughlin, BH 17:24.5; 18 (97), Craig Johnson, NK 17:24.6; 19 (99), Tim Calcagni, Char. 17:25; 20 (103), Matt Mercurio, LS 17:27.4; 21 (104), Dan McCloskey, SK 17:27.7; 22 (113), Matt Colavita, EG 17:32; 23 (134), Shawn Stadnick, SK 17:40; 24 (135), Dylan Leazes, LS 17:41; 25 (136), Mike Ericson, Linc. 17:42; 26 (146), Kevin Carey, SK 17:48; 27 (150), Andrew Glod, EG 17:49; 28 (151), Jake Sienko, BH 17:50.0; 29 (153), Jayson McVeigh, LS 17:50.8; 30 (158), Jim Desmarais, BH 17:54. Dist. - 5,000 meters.
From Portsmouth High School Athletic Director Mike Lunney, here are the details of Patrots pitcher Ryan Westmoreland's plans to sign a National Letter of Intent to Vanderbilt University:
Portsmouth, RI – Portsmouth High School Senior Ryan Westmoreland will be signing a National Letter of Intent to attend Vanderbilt University on a baseball scholarship in the fall of 2008. The signing will take place in the Portsmouth High School library on Wednesday, November 14th at 3:00 pm.
Ryan has stood out in the community as a baseball player since 2002, when his Portsmouth Little League team advanced to the finals of the New England Regional Tournament in Bristol, CT, losing to the eventual national runner-up Jesse Burkett of Worcester, MA 1-0. His accomplishments at the high school level are nothing short of amazing. Statistically, he enters his senior year with a .510 career batting average, accompanied by a .579 on base percentage and a .817 slugging percentage. He needs only 12 hits to break the all-time hits mark at PHS, and several other season and career records are looming. As a pitcher, he is 28-0, with a career .72 ERA and 270 strikeouts in 174 innings, walking only 52. In addition to being the winning pitcher in both the Freshman State Championship game in 2005, and DII Varsity State Championship game in 2006, Ryan has been named Division Most Valuable Player, Division Most Outstanding Player, Championship Series MVP, RI Gatorade Player of the Year, Cox Sports Television Baseball Scholar/Athlete of the Year, First Team All-State, Newport County Player of the Year and BCA All District 1 Team. His accomplishments both as a pitcher and offensive player have led to his recruitment by Vanderbilt as a two-way prospect, unique at the Division 1 level.
During this past summer, Westmoreland competed at the highest national level. In 2007 he was selected to participate in the East Coast Professional Showcase in Lakeland, FL, and Area Code Games in Long Beach, CA, two of the most highly regarded and recruited tournaments in the country. Ryan was named to the All Area Code team, as well as being ranked 11th overall, 6th position player by ESPN for his performance in those tournaments.
“Ryan is one of the most gifted baseball players, if not one of the most gifted overall athletes to ever come out of Portsmouth High School. This is a result of his tireless work ethic in every endeavor that he undertakes. Though we will certainly miss him, Coach Corbin and the Vanderbilt Baseball program are getting themselves a fine young man. We are very proud of Ryan.” said Portsmouth Head Baseball Coach Dave Ulmschneider.
Vanderbilt University is considered to be one of the top 20 Academic Institutions in the United States, as well as achieving a #1 ranking in Division 1 Collegiate Baseball during most of 2007, and that same ranking going into the NCAA tournament. The Commodores compete in the SEC, considered by many to be the powerhouse conference in Division 1 baseball. They ended their season with a #6 national ranking after falling to Michigan in the Regional tournament. Westmoreland verbally committed to Head Coach Tim Corbin in July.
Bolstered by a MetLife MVP performance by goalie Hanna MacDougall (20 saves), a gutsy performance by injured defender Chelsea Rainville and clutch kicks by Ariel Teixeira, Alison Massed and Lauren Patriarca in a 3-1 shootout, the Mt. Hope girls soccer team defeated top-seeded La Salle, 2-1, en route to capturing the Division I Championship of the 27th MetLife Soccer Classic, before several hundred rowdy fans last night at Rhode Island College.
It marks the first state title for the Huskies since they defeated South Kingstown, 2-1, for the Division I crown in 1996.
MT. HOPE (2): Emily Donahue; assist – Tara Turnbull. LA SALLE (1): Allison Kelley.
Halftime – MH, 1-0. End of regulation – 1-1. Shootout – Mt. Hope 3 (Ariel Teixeira, Alison Massed, Lauren Patriarca); La Salle 1 (Laura Holmstedt). Saves – Hanna MacDougall, MH, 20; Caroline McCabe, LS, 5.
Today's sports cover previews the matchup of Division I high school football unbeatens Hendricken and St. Raphael. Also, Mike Szostak catches up with BC star and former East Providence Townie Jamie Silva, and Kevin McNamara reveals PC's plans to retire the numbers of three former basketball stars.
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One team needed 100 minutes and a round of penalty kicks. The other needed just 33 seconds to take a lead it would not relinquish. Regardless of how long it took, the Lincoln and North Smithfield girls soccer teams are both headed to the finals.
Thanks to penalty kicks by Amanda Amaral and Meredith Atkinson and a clutch performance by goalkeeper Adriana Ferreria (nine saves), Lincoln defeated St. Raphael, 2-1 after a shootout, in the first Division III semifinal of the 27th annual MetLife Soccer Classic, earlier tonight at Rhode Island College.
Corinne Sherman’s early goal proved to be the game-winner, as North Smithfield earned the spot opposite the defending champion Lions in the R.I. Interscholastic League Division III Championship - which will be played tomorrow at 1 p.m. at Pierce Stadium in East Providence - with a 3-0 victory over Burrillville in the other semifinal matchup.
Lincoln and North Smithfield, who will be playing in the first of three girls soccer finals Saturday at Pierce, are no strangers to each other. The III-North rivals split their regular-season meetings, with the 11-5-0 Northmen winning the first contest, 3-2, and the 13-1-2 Lions prevailing, 8-2, in the other.
The Division II and III semifinal games scheduled for tonight have been moved to Thursday, and two of the games have switched locations.
In Division II, Ponaganset will play Bay View at 6 on Thursday, followed by Cranston West vs. Prout at 8. Both games are at Cranston Stadium.
In Division III, St. Raphael will play Lincoln at 5, followed by Burrillville vs. North Smithfield at 7. Both games are at Rhode Island College.
After a very brief absence, North Kingstown has returned to the winner's circle.
Megan Greene scored two goals and assisted on another and Cassie-Raye Stuart had one goal and an assist, in leading the Skippers to a 3-0 victory over Tiverton in the title game of the R.I. Interscholastic League Division I Field Hockey Championship, tonight at Cranston Stadium.
Making its seventh title appearance in 11 years, North Kingstown has now won four out of the last six Division I state crowns, including three straight from 2002 to 2004.
North Kingstown senior Natalie Bates was named the tournament MVP after leading the Skippers' strong defensive effort.
RIIL FIELD HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIPS
ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAMS
Division I
Emily Massa, Barrington
Patricia Hendrickson, Barrington
Lauren Pallister, East Greenwich
Logan Gallogly, East Greenwich
Brittany Vasconcelos, Tiverton
Erica Schlatter, Tiverton
Sydney Higginbottom, Tiverton
Megan Greene, North Kingstown
Stacey Scott, North Kingstown
Cassie-Raye Stuart, North Kingstown
MVP - Natalie Bates, North Kingstown
DIVISION II
Sarah Knowles, Rocky Hill
Hannah Knowles, Rocky Hill
Catie Colucci, Bay View
Katie Hall, Bay View
Sierra Olney, Wheeler
Emily Holding, Wheeler
Hannah McConnell, Wheeler
Dana Engle, Moses Brown
Meredith Wasserman, Moses Brown
Zoe Katzen, Moses Brown
MVP - Liza Green, Moses Brown
Tournament MVP Liza Green , a freshman, scored two goals and had one assist, as Moses Brown won its second-straight state title with a 4-1 victory over Wheeler in the R.I. Interscholastic League Division II Field Hockey Championship, played earlier tonight at Cranston Stadium.
With the score tied at 1-all, the Quakers' Lizzie Jones scored what would prove to be the game-winner a little more than a minute and a half into the second period.
Hampered by a bad cold at last weekend’s Class A Championships, where he finished sixth, Hendricken's Bronson Venable returned to the same course at Ponaganset High School this afternoon feeling considerably better, and by the time he left, he was flying high after capturing the individual crown at the R.I. Interscholastic League State Cross Country Championships with a time of 15:52.98.
Making his move at the 2 1/2-mile mark, the Hawks senior shaved 53 seconds off his personal best on the course, en route to a 6-second margin of victory over Westerly junior Tim O’Loughlin.
Meanwhile, sophomore Nick Ross (4th in 16:08.67), junior Mark Feigen (6th in 16:16.82), Akash Chougule (9th in 16:25.23), Mike Pezzullo (20th in 16:54.59) and Matt Colavita (22nd in 16:56.13) combined to give East Greenwich 53 points and its first ever team state championship.
La Salle junior Conor Mercurio led the Rams to second place (82 points) with his third-place finish in 16:01.98.
Chariho junior David Hurley (fifth in 16:15.62) paced the Chargers to fourth place (110 points) behind Hendricken (102 points).
North Kingstown senior Nate Wigton rounded out the top seven with his time of 16:19.13.
One week after winning her second straight Class A title on the 5,000-meter Covered Bridge Trail, La Salle senior Jeanne Mack came back and shattered the course record with her time of 18:14.56 to win the individual crown and in the process help La Salle secure its first team state title at the R.I. Interscholastic League Girls Cross Country State Championship, today at Ponaganset High School.
Taking a firm hold on the lead shortly after the 2-mile mark, Mack went on to post a 32-second margin of victory over teammate and defending champion Jean Christensen, shaving 16 seconds off the previous course mark of 18:31, set by 2006 New England cross country champion Georgia Griffin of New Hampshire.
In addition to the valuable points provided by Mack and Christensen’s 1-2 finish, La Salle received scoring contributions from senior Nicole Cocozza (9th in 19:52.37), sophomore Victoria Beardwood (21st in 20:22.65) and Colleen McKenna (26th in 20:27.50).
After being crowned the freshman state champion a week and a half ago and the Class B champion last Sunday, Barrington rookie Abigail Jones looked nothing like a rookie, as she finished third in 19:10.45.
South Kingstown sophomore Hope Nelson improved 10 places and about 25 seconds from last year’s performance, taking fourth in 19:25.83.
North Kingstown junior Allie Stasiuk was fifth in 19:30.76, helping the defending champion Skippers to a second-place team finish (89 points).
Rounding out the top seven were sophomore’s Stephanie Beaudette of Bay View (19:32.50) and Arianna Colella of Cranston West (19:37.42).
Coventry – which is headed by Larry Gallogly Award winner and Girls’ Coach of the Year Michaela Thompson – finished third with 99 points, with junior Kaitlyn Grimshaw (8th in 19:37.91) and senior Lindsay Paiva (14th in 20:03.79) leading the way.
Both boys soccer playoff games scheduled for tonight have been postponed to tomorrow. La Salle will host Barrington at 2, while Portsmouth hosts Hope at 7.
Also, the South Kingstown-Cranston East football game has been moved to tomorrow at 7, at Cranston Stadium.
A number of football games have been added to the list of postponements on today's high school schedule.
Here are the football postponements so far, with the reschedule times in parentheses:
Mount Pleasant at Smithfield (Sunday, 2 p.m.)
West Warwick at Burrillville (Sunday, 1 p.m.)
Moses Brown at Tiverton (Sunday, 1:30 p.m.)
North Kingstown at St. Raphael (Sunday, 6 p.m.)
Yesterday, the Interscholastic League postponed the state field hockey championship games that had been scheduled for today at Bryant College. Wheeler will play Moses Brown for the Division II title at 6 p.m. Monday night, while North Kingstown will play Tiverton for the Division I championship after the Division II game. Both games will be at Cranston Stadium.
The football game between Johnston and Ponaganset has been rescheduled to 10 a.m. Sunday, and the state cross country championship meets at Ponaganset have been moved back an hour each: the girls meet will start at 2 p.m. Sunday, with the boys starting at 3.
There's no word yet on the boys soccer playoff games scheduled for tonight: La Salle is set to host Barrington at 6 while Portsmouth hosts defending state champion Hope at 7.
The Division I and Division II state field hockey championship games, originally scheduled for tomorrow at Bryant College, will now be played Monday night at Cranston Stadium.
Moses Brown will play Wheeler for the Division II title at 6 p.m., and North Kingstown will play Tiverton for the Division I title at 8 p.m.
In other news, starting times for Sunday's state cross country championship meet have been pushed back an hour.
Finally, the Johnston-Ponaganset football game scheduled for tomorrow will be played Sunday morning at 10, at Ponaganset.
The Interscholastic League has postponed the Division I and Division II field hockey championship games, scheduled for tomorrow, because of the forecast for bad weather. The reschedule dates have not yet been announced on the RIIL Web site.
When the games are played, it will be North Kingstown vs. Tiverton for the Division I title, and Moses Brown vs. Wheeler for the Division II crown.
Because of a production error, some inaccurate information was reported in today's newspaper graphic displaying the results of our HSGameTime football poll. Some teams that fans voted as underdogs were listed as favorites.
Following are the actual results for the Friday games, as of 8 this morning (voting will continue until the games begin). We will report the results for the Saturday games in tomorrow's newspaper. Favorites are listed in bold, with the vote breakdown following in parentheses.
La Salle at Hendricken (51%-49%)
Barrington at Cranston West (77-23)
Rogers at Portsmouth (51-49)
Woonsocket at Chariho (55-45)
Warwick Vets at Tolman (75-25)
Westerly at Mt. Hope (73-27)
Toll Gate at Coventry (71-29)
Pilgrim at Shea (81-19)
East Greenwich at Central (69-31)
Lincoln at Cumberland (88-12)
North Smithfield at Central Falls (60-40)
Scituate at Middletown (56-44)
There have been a total of 1,184 votes for the Friday games so far.
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HS Sports Blog Jan 2008
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